AI uncovers shocking details in the masterpiece of the great painter Raphael

An Abnormality in the Face of a Figure in Raphael’s Masterpiece “Madonna Della Rosa” Has Been Revealed

According to PHYS, experts from the University of Nottingham, the University of Bradford (UK), and Stanford University (USA) have utilized artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze the intricate details of the famous painting “Madonna Della Rosa.”

The results are startling: The face of Saint Joseph appears to have not been painted by the hand of Raphael!

“Madonna Della Rosa” – (Painting: Raphael, Giulio Romano)

The Renaissance masterpiece “Madonna Della Rosa,” housed in the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain, has long been a subject of debate within academic circles.

One of the most famous theories comes from Raphael scholar Professor Jurg Meyer zur Capellen. He posits that the renowned 15th-century painter’s pupil, Giulio Romano, may have contributed to the painting, specifically in the depiction of the rose and the lower section.

However, AI suggests that the lower part of the painting could also be by Raphael.

Conversely, AI has identified another anomaly in the face of Saint Joseph, indicating it was likely not painted by the same hand as the rest of the artwork.

Aside from Saint Joseph’s face, all other areas of the painting have been confirmed by AI to be painted by the master Raphael, based on comparisons with his other works.

The authors noted that the accuracy of this AI analysis is up to 98%.

“Analyzing these works of art by Raphael presents an objective and quantifiable approach, utilizing machine learning. AI promises to be a valuable supplementary tool in similar research in the future,” said Dr. Christopher Brooke from the University of Nottingham.

According to Professor Howell Edwards from the University of Bradford, the painting “Madonna Della Rosa” was created on canvas around 1517-1518 and was initially regarded as entirely Raphael’s work.

However, several notable arguments later suggested that parts of the painting were executed by others in the workshop, with the theory regarding pupil Giulio Romano being widely accepted, leading to his name being mentioned alongside Raphael in discussions of the artwork.

There have also been opinions suggesting that the images of the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child, and Saint John in the painting seem to be rendered with a quality that surpasses the rest, while Saint Joseph’s depiction appears to have been added later. The new AI study supports this view.

Meanwhile, the master painter Raphael’s full name is Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, born in 1483 in Urbino, Italy. He, along with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, forms the “great master trio” of painting from that era.